Shimla, January 30 (IANS). Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu, along with cabinet colleagues and party leaders, on Friday paid tribute to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary at the historic Ridge Ground in the state capital.
After paying homage, Congress leaders observed a two-hour fast from 11 am to protest against the renaming and changes in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).
The Chief Minister said that the BJP-led central government has not only changed the name of MNREGA but has also weakened the basic spirit of the scheme.
He had earlier said that the scheme had provided employment opportunities to youth and women, especially in rural areas, but now employment opportunities were being reduced.
Chief Minister Sukhu said that earlier village heads had the authority to carry out works like road construction under MNREGA, which ensured employment near people’s homes and during the Covid-19 pandemic, the scheme played an important role in providing maximum employment to the people.
However, now the rights of Panchayat heads have been taken away. The Chief Minister further said that for the last 20 years, MNREGA has been guaranteeing employment and also providing unemployment allowance in case of non-availability of work.
He said today’s two-hour fast was organized to protest against the systematic scrapping of the scheme. He said that earlier the Central Government used to bear 100 percent expenditure under MNREGA, but now it has been changed to funding in the ratio of 90:10, which will adversely affect the interests of Himachal Pradesh.
–IANS
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